From a young age, Claire Bellizzi always had an untameable drive toward learning and growth. As a young nurse, working within the intensive care units at the national hospital, she would use her free time to gain diversified experience at private clinics, meeting new people.

It is perhaps this drive, which hasn’t diminished one bit, that today motivates her as she leads one of the country’s fastest-growing private educational institutions – Apex Academy.

“Through our work experiences we grow,” Claire explains. “Moreover, in the medical world, you are immediately exposed to challenges first hand – be it COVID, or Sars or the avian flu, they are all episodes that put you and every ounce of strength in your mind and body to the test.”

But Apex Group, the mother company of Apex Academy, has come a long way since its first steps in the commercial world in 2012.

“We stumbled across the opportunity to take over a child-care centre some 10 years ago, before the government-support schemes, and when child-care centres weren’t the house-hold service we have come to expect today. Gradually, we invested in our service, as we sought to diversify into community services, such as specialised cleaning services at homes for the elderly. Today we are looking at opening our seventh childcare centre, while our group has a healthy portfolio of interests in various sectors, including educational sector.”

In fact, Apex Academy was launched in 2019 with the aim of delivering tailor-made training and coaching services for both its own employees who were engaged in providing several services to clients, as well as external parties.

“The academy knows its origins due to the influx of international workers who have characterised the Maltese labour market in the past years. Initially we crafted adaptation courses that helped workers from different backgrounds obtain the basic skill sets necessary.

“We wanted to create a community of workers who felt comfortable calling Malta home, while contributing to the economy. From a small number of courses, we swiftly moved to a fully-fledged academy, which is now accredited by MFHEA. This meant that we could identify any gaps that existed in the market as we sought to cover educational opportunities across the entire spectrum of the care and health eco-system,” Claire continues.

Today, Apex Academy provides courses in caregiving, childcare, and hospitality. The academy has ambitious plans to expand its offerings in the near future, aiming to encompass a broader range of related fields within both further and higher education levels.

The Academy has the ambitious goal of becoming a leading institute in the provision of education and development, and Claire has a clear vision of how to achieve it.

“One of the keys is having high quality educators, who use effective teaching methods, supported by the very best tech in the business,” Claire explains.

In fact, Apex Academy is looking at investing further in Artificial Intelligence technology to provide an unrivalled learning journey for its students. “IT remains key, especially when preparing students with the best hands-on experience, which ideally comes closest to the real thing, without venturing into ethically questionable waters. Just like a pilot practices landing an aeroplane without putting anyone’s life at risk, using the wonders of virtual reality, similarly persons working in the health sector would be able to practice certain procedures, in a realistic hospital-like environment, hence giving them superior preparation.” 

Apex Academy ultimately is in the business of helping individuals obtain life-long training, hence improving their quality of life, and chances at advancing their personal careers.

“As a country we have improved greatly when it comes to the idea of lifelong learning, or continuous professional development, however there is still a long way ahead of us. Admittedly, we have improved in areas which are regulated, and require practitioners to receive updated training courses periodically. However, few are the employers and workers who take the initiative to further their studies to improve themselves, in other sectors. We constantly preach how employers are better off when they invest in their teams, as they gain better quality employees, who produce better services, and gain superior employer branding in the long term.”

Asked about what’s in store for the future of Apex Academy, Claire explains how she looks forward to growing the organisation further, possibly beyond Malta’s shores.

“We want to create new international exchange programmes, and strike partnerships with foreign institutions while developing challenging curricula that address global issues such as the environment and sustainability. Furthermore, we will remain true to our core values of providing superior quality education to our students, effectively bridging the gap between theory and practice,” Claire concludes.